Dinner
by Brittanyleigh
Summary: Lindsay and Ellenor's match making causes some problems and reveals a few secrets that Bobby and Helen have been keeping from Lindsay B/L, M/H
1. Dinner Alone

Title: Dinner  
  
Author: Brittanyleigh  
  
Notes: If they were mine Helen and Bobby would be together, but since there is no chance of that happening, I'll settle for the next best thing, Helen and Mike. If you don't like them being together, you might want to stop right here. It's set sometime after Bad to Worse, but Jamie isn't in it, cause I don't like her. Enjoy, and please give me some feedback. I don't care if it's good or bad. This is my first fic, and I would appreciate it.  
  
Helen Gamble walked into Donnell, Young, Dole, and Frutt on Friday evening. She was exhausted from working all week and the only thing she wanted was to get Ellenor and go out to a nice, relaxing dinner.  
  
"Hey Ellenor are you ready?" she asked as she approached her desk.  
  
" I can't go. I have to much paperwork." she answered without looking up from the paper she was writing on.  
  
"What? You can't bail on me. I can't go out to eat by myself."  
  
"Why don't you just cook something?" asked Lucy from her desk.  
  
Lindsay spoke up from across the room where she was talking to Bobby. "You wouldn't ask that question if you've tasted Helen's cooking before."  
  
"Gee thanks Linds." said Helen sarcastically.  
  
Lindsay smiled.  
  
"Can't you do the paperwork later?" asked Helen, looking for anyway possible to keep from eating alone.  
  
"Nope. Hiller wants it in by 9 tomorrow."  
  
"You can to cook. You made me dinner once while we were dating." said Bobby suddenly.  
  
Everyone turned to look at him.  
  
"Did it take you that long?" asked Lucy.  
  
Helen grinned. "I had Lindsay come over and make before you got there."  
  
Lindsay looked up at Bobby. "Honey if she had made it you would have been to sick to sleep with her."  
  
"It wouldn't have mattered." said Helen. "I don't think we actually got around to eating."  
  
Helen and Bobby looked at each other for a moment, briefly thinking about that night, before breaking their gaze. Helen turned back to Ellenor.  
  
"You really can't come?" she asked.  
  
"For the last time, no I can't come and eat with you." answered Ellenor and then after a brief pause she asked. "Why don't you call Mike? I'm sure he'd jump at the chance to have dinner with you."  
  
Helen briefly glared at her before saying "Were just friends and you know that."  
  
Yeah right. Thought Ellenor. Everyone knew that Mike had a thing for Helen and they suspected that she liked him as well.  
  
"I guess I'm going to go home and order pizza or something." said Helen.  
  
"Ok, I'll be home in a few hours."  
  
Helen turned and walked out the door. As soon as she was gone Ellenor put her pen down and looked at Lindsay.  
  
"You think this'll work?" she asked.  
  
Lindsay smiled. She was determined to get Mike and Helen together. She hadn't seen her happy for a long time and she knew that Helen liked him. She moved across the room and picking up the phone on Jamie's desk, dialed Mike's number.  
  
"Hey Mike. This is Lindsay. We're all going to Helen and Ellenor's for pizza and a movie and we thought that you might like to join us. You would? Great. Were all leaving the office now. We'll meet you over there. Bye."  
  
Bobby walked across the room to where Lindsay was. "What in the hell are you doing? Helen is going to kill both of you." he told Lindsay and Ellenor.  
  
"Relax. It'll be fine. She likes him and she deserves to be happy."  
  
"Yeah I know that, but if she wanted to ask him out then she would. She doesn't need you to do it for her." he said.  
  
"She's afraid." said Lucy.  
  
The three of them looked at her.  
  
"Helen has never been afraid of asking anyone out." said Bobby.  
  
"Her and Mike have known each other for a long time. She's probably scared that she'll mess it up because she's screwed up every other relationship she's ever been in."  
  
"How do you know that?" asked Ellenor. "You guys never talk to each other."  
  
"We went out to dinner a few days ago and we talked about it for a little while." said Lucy.  
  
Lindsay looked at her with a slightly jealous expression. She could never get Helen to open up to her like that. Helen never talked to anyone about her emotions. She just pretended to be strong until no one was around, then she cried. Why would she ever open up to Lucy?  
  
Lucy looked at Lindsay. "I needed boyfriend advice and I figured she had had the most experience in dating, so I asked her to come to dinner with me to help me out with a problem. Then we started talking about my problems and she told me about some of the problems she had had while she was dating a few guys." she explained.  
  
"Oh." said Lindsay, still slightly jealous that Lucy knew things about her best friend that she had never heard before. "Well if she's afraid of asking Mike out, there's no better way to get over it than to spend a few hours outside of work with him."  
  
Bobby rolled his eyes and shook his head. Helen was going to be pissed.  
  
So what'd you think? The Mike and Helen stuff will start in the next chapter. Feedback please!! 


	2. Matchmaker

Chapter 2  
  
Sorry it took so long. I have a massive research paper due in a few weeks and it has been taking up most of my time. Anyway, here's the second chapter. Bobby Jr. and Zoey are at a babysitter's in this. I forgot to mention it in the story. Enjoy, and feedback please!  
  
  
  
Helen walked through the door of her apartment completely intent on ordering a pizza, taking a nice, long, relaxing bath, and watching whatever chick flick was on television until she fell asleep. She laid her briefcase and jacket down on the kitchen table and then picked up the phone.  
  
"Yes, I would like a large pizza with everything on it delivered to 53rd Street, apartment 14. " she told the pizza guy. "How long will that take?"  
  
"Uh, ida know, about half an hour." replied the teenager taking her order.  
  
She rolled her eyes. He sounds like he's high. She thought smirking a little.  
  
"Ok thanks." she said to him and hung up.  
  
She was about to make her way to the bathroom for her bath when someone knocked on the door. Who the hell could that be? She thought before opening the door.  
  
"Mike." she said in surprise.  
  
"Hey." he replied.  
  
"Uh, come in." she said stepping aside to let him through the door.  
  
"Where's everyone at?" he asked.  
  
"Hu?" asked Helen completely baffled at to why he was there and what he was talking about.  
  
"Lindsay called me at the office and asked me to come over here to hang out and watch a movie with you guys."  
  
Realization quickly dawned on Helen and she groaned.  
  
"I'm gonna kill her." she muttered while heading toward the phone.  
  
"What's going on?" asked Mike.  
  
Helen dialed Lindsay's number before she answered him. "Lindsay is playing match maker."  
  
"Oh." said Mike as he realized that Helen didn't really invite him over. His face fell a little and Helen suddenly felt bad for him but she didn't have time to say anything before Lucy picked up the phone.  
  
"Donnell, Young, Dole, and Frutt." she said.  
  
"Hey this Helen, put Cupid on the phone please. I need to have a word with her."  
  
At the office Lucy covered the phone and looked at Lindsay.  
  
"It's Helen. She sounds kinda pissed." she said before she handed the phone to Lindsay.  
  
"Hey Helen how's it going?" asked Lindsay cheerfully.  
  
"Oh it's going just fine Lindsay. Hey could you do me a favor? Since you're coming over to watch movies and everything pick up some beer and popcorn on the way. Thanks. Bye." Helen said. She then hung up the phone before Lindsay had the chance to protest.  
  
"Well that was fun." she said smiling a little. "You want something to drink?" she asked Mike.  
  
"Uh no thanks. I'm gonna go. I uh guess I'll see you at work sometime." he said as he moved toward the door.  
  
"Wait. They're all coming over now to watch movies. You might as well stay and join us. Besides if Lindsay shows up and realizes that her plan didn't work she's gonna be in a bad mood all night and trust me Lindsay mad is something no one wants to deal with on a Friday night."  
  
He smiled and bounced from foot to foot slightly as he made up his mind. "You sure you don't mind?"  
  
"Of course not." she said. "Now, what do u want to drink?"  
  
Back at Donnell, Young, Dole, and Frutt Bobby was getting annoyed.  
  
"So now we actually have to go over there for the night?" he asked angrily.  
  
"Yea she kinda didn't give me any choice. She just said bring popcorn and beer and hung up." answered Lindsay. "Besides it'll be fun. We haven't all hung out for a long time. It'll be just like old times."  
  
"Oh god." muttered Bobby.  
  
"What's your problem? We all used to hang out all the time when I lived there." she asked.  
  
"We were going to go out to a nice, peaceful dinner alone tonight." he wined.  
  
"I'll make it up to you next weekend. I promise." she said.  
  
"So wait." said Lucy. "All of us are invited?"  
  
"Yes Lucy, you can come to." said Lindsay.  
  
"Good." She said. Then after thinking for a moment she asked, "Hey, do you think we can get Helen drunk?"  
  
Ellenor rolled her eyes. "Why would we want to do that?"  
  
"It'd be funnier than hell. I mean seriously she's usually so uptight around us. It'd be cool to see her loosen up for awhile."  
  
"So were all going?" asked Bobby.  
  
"All going where?" asked Eugene as he, Rebecca, and Jimmy came out of Bobby's office.  
  
"To Helen and Ellenor's to eat pizza and watch movies." answered Lucy happily.  
  
"Since when?" asked Rebecca.  
  
"Since Lindsay decided to stick her nose in Helen's love life." answered Bobby.  
  
"You'll all be fine. One night of relaxation won't hurt you." said Lindsay as she grabbed her coat off of the coat rack, "Let's go." 


	3. The Movie

Chapter 3  
  
Sorry again. It's taking me forever to get these chapters up. The research paper from hell is almost done and when I finish it the chapters will come faster. Anyway, here's chapter 3. Enjoy, and review!  
  
  
  
Lindsay, Eugene, Bobby, Ellenor, Lucy, Jimmy, and Rebecca arrived at Helen's about twenty minutes after she called.  
  
"Hey guys." Helen greeted them brightly.  
  
Mike was watching a football game as they all made their way into the apartment. Lindsay put the popcorn and beer in the kitchen and then sat down on the couch with Bobby and Mike. Eugene and Ellenor sat in the two recliners that were also in the room, which left Lucy, Rebecca and Jimmy on the floor.  
  
"I'm gonna pop the popcorn, Linds why don't you come help me." said Helen with slightly dark eyes.  
  
Lindsay got up from the couch and slowly made her way to the kitchen.  
  
"I told you." said Bobby from the couch.  
  
Lindsay turned around to glare at him before stepping into the kitchen.  
  
"What in the hell were you thinking?" asked Helen angrily as she ripped the plastic off of the popcorn and shoved it into the microwave.  
  
"I was thinking hey I think Helen likes Mike, I know Mike likes Helen maybe they should hang out a little bit." answered Lindsay defiantly.  
  
"Well you know what Lindsay, next time you decide to set me up on a date, tell me first! I would never do this to you." Lindsay opened her mouth to respond but Helen cut her off. "Do you have any idea how uncomfortable this was for him? You humiliated him."  
  
A small smile slowly spread over Lindsay's lips as she realized that Helen was more pissed on Mike behalf than on her own.  
  
"What in the hell could you possible be smiling at?" asked Helen, her voice rising at the end.  
  
"You're mad cause I embarrassed him." she said. "You don't care that I humiliated you, you're just mad for his sake."  
  
Helen's eyes grew as she realized her mistake. She was about ready to say something when the microwave beeped. Lindsay grabbed the popcorn and a bowl and left the kitchen with a triumphant smile on her face.  
  
"What are you smiling at?" asked Ellenor when Lindsay returned to the living room and placed the popcorn on the table.  
  
Lindsay just shook her head and grinned.  
  
"What are we gonna watch?" asked Lucy, clearly bored with the football game.  
  
"Whatever you want. Grab something off of that shelf." said Helen as she came back into the living room and sat on the couch between Bobby and Mike. Lindsay grinned at her and Helen crossed her arms over her chest. Lucy got up to pick out a movie.  
  
"What's wrong with you?" asked Jimmy.  
  
"She's mad cause she's bad liar." said Lindsay.  
  
"I kicked your ass in college and I'll do it again if you don't shut up."  
  
"Geeze, you must have pissed her off pretty good." said Ellenor.  
  
"Will you guys quit your bickering? I came over here to watch a movie and I'm not gonna be able to hear it if you guys don't shut up." Eugene said.  
  
Helen glared at Lindsay one last time before turning her head toward the television to watch the movie that Lucy had slipped into the VCR before anyone could see what it was. Bobby picked up the remote and fast- forwarded through all of the previews. When the title came across the screen everyone except Lucy and Helen groaned.  
  
"I can't believe you own this movie." complained Bobby.  
  
"I can." said Lindsay. "Doesn't she kind of remind you of Kathryn?"  
  
"Oh thanks Linds. And you remind me of Annette."  
  
"Guess that makes me Sabastian" said Bobby with a smirk.  
  
Helen and Lindsay looked at him for a long moment before bursting into laughter.  
  
"Will you guys please shut up." grumbled Lucy from the floor.  
  
Helen and Lindsay's laughter subsided and they all turned their attention to the television to watch Cruel Intentions.  
  
"If it helps any you don't act a thing like her." Mike whispered into Helen's ear.  
  
Helen grinned before whispering back, "I can't. I don't have a step brother."  
  
Mike chuckled and they both set back to watch the movie. About half way through Helen felt something lightly brush her shoulder and glanced at Mike to see that his arm was on the back of the couch. She debated with herself for a moment before deciding to be straightforward and carefully laid her head on Mike's shoulder. A few seconds later she felt his arm move from the back of the couch to her shoulders and smiled. Lindsay glanced over and saw how they were setting. She nudged Bobby and pointed to the opposite end of the couch. Bobby looked over and saw them and rolled his eyes at the victorious smile that Lindsay was wearing on her face before putting his arm around Lindsay.  
  
  
  
Kate, ice-woman, and rossandrachelforever, thanks for the reviews. I need someone's opinion. Should I continue with it out of work or should I work a case into it? I'm still working on the thing that Bobby and Helen have been hiding from Lindsay that might take me a few more chapters, but I can't decide if it would be better with a trial. Let me know what u think. 


	4. Making a Date

Chapter 4  
  
Hey guys, thanks for all of the reviews they really make my day, and help me write faster, too! Anyway here's the next chapter. Enjoy!  
  
Helen awoke the next morning to the smell of breakfast cooking. She sat up, looked around, and realized that she was in her bed. She vaguely remembered falling asleep on Mike's shoulder toward the end of the movie, and someone, probably him or Bobby had carried her to her room. She was half-asleep and too tired to open her eyes to see who it was. She shrugged her shoulders and got out of bed. As she approached the kitchen she saw Ellenor cooking eggs and Zoey setting in her high chair eating a bowl of Fruit Loops.  
  
"Hey sleepyhead good morning."  
  
"Hey." she said as she took a seat on the bar.  
  
"You were really out last night. I looked back halfway through the movie and you were falling asleep on Mike's shoulder. Bobby had to carry you to your room. You gonna get hell from Lindsay for that." Ellenor informed her as she dumped the scrambled eggs onto a plate.  
  
"Oh god." muttered Helen. "I'm in trial against her tomorrow."  
  
Ellenor laughed.  
  
"Oh I almost forgot. Mike didn't have the heart to wake you up last night to say good bye so he left me this and told me to give it to you today." she slid a note to Helen.  
  
She opened it and found a short message written on it.  
  
Helen,  
  
I really had a good time last night and I thought you might want to do it again sometime. Preferable without your friends. How about dinner tomorrow night?  
  
Mike  
  
Helen smiled as she closed the note and went to get dressed.  
  
"Good news?" asked Ellenor  
  
Helen just turned around and grinned at her and continued walking down the hall. After getting dressed in jeans, a tee shirt, and a light jacket she took a pen and a piece of paper and wrote a message on it. When she was done she told Ellenor that she was leaving and would be back in a little while. She drove down to the Boston PD and walked to Mike's desk. He thankfully wasn't there and Helen left the note on his desk.  
  
Mike walked back to his desk after a long time questioning a suspect in a murder case. I need to get Helen down here soon. He thought as he sat down. He noticed a paper lying on his desk so he picked it up and read it.  
  
Mike,  
  
Dinner sounds great, but why wait until tomorrow? How about tonight? I'll be home all day. Call if you wanna go tonight.  
  
Helen  
  
He smiled as he picked up the phone and dialed her number.  
  
Sorry about the sort of cliffhanger. I promise I'll try my best to get the next chapter up soon. That's when the case will start. Hope u liked it. Review please! 


	5. Perfect

Chapter 5  
  
Helen was quickly putting the finishing touches on her make up on Monday evening when she heard the front door open. Oh god, he's early. She thought as she tried to finish quickly. Mike had called last night and told her that he could go to dinner because he was questioning a murder suspect, but they had made plans to go out the next night. She was startled when the bathroom door opened suddenly and Bobby Jr. stepped in.  
  
"Hi." he said smiling at her.  
  
"Hey sweetie. Is your mommy out there?" she asked.  
  
The little boy nodded his head. "Daddy too."  
  
Helen groaned. Mike would be there any minute to pick her up for their date and she really didn't want to have to listen to Lindsay say I told you so.  
  
"Ok." she said as she put her make up back in its case. "How do I look?"  
  
The little boy cocked his head to the side and studied her for a few seconds. "You looks weally bootyful." he said.  
  
Helen laughed and picked him up.  
  
"Where you goin?" he asked.  
  
"You gotta keep it a secret." she said seriously. "You promise you won't tell?"  
  
"I pwomis." he said.  
  
Helen smiled at his serious face. Even though he was only three years old his eyes had a serious tone to them. He must get it from Bobby she thought.  
  
"I'm going on a date."  
  
"A date?" he asked.  
  
"Yeah. I'm going to go eat with a friend." she explained.  
  
"Oh." he said. "What's his name?"  
  
"Mike." she answered. "He's a policeman."  
  
"Weally?" he asked as his eyes grew big.  
  
"Yeah," answered Helen as she shut the bathroom door and walked down the hallway to the living room. "but you can't tell."  
  
"Hey." Lindsay greeted her. "Can't tell what?  
  
"Nothing." answered Helen as she put Bobby down and slid her high-healed shoes on.  
  
"Where are you going?" asked Lindsay suspiciously.  
  
"No where. What are you guys doing here?"  
  
"We wanted to give you this." said Bobby as he handed her a file.  
  
She opened it and looked through its contents.  
  
"You jumping on as second chair?" she asked.  
  
"Third." answered Ellenor as she came out of the kitchen. "I'm second."  
  
"Great." muttered Helen.  
  
She hated high profile trials, especially ones against the lawyers at Bobby's firm. She dreaded tomorrow when she had to talk to the victim's husband and daughter. Jennie Carson, the victim, was a thirty two year old stay at home mother who had been shot while working in her garden. The suspect, Lindsay's client, was her 13 year old son. Apparently he had found his mother in bed with another man and had waited until he left before he loaded his father's gun and shot her in the head.  
  
"So where are you going?" Lindsay asked again.  
  
Helen smirked at her and put her jacket on. Just then the doorbell rang and Helen quickly answered it. Standing on the other side of the door was a very nervous Mike. He was dressed in a light blue sweater and a pair of khaki pants.  
  
"Hey." said Helen softly.  
  
"Hi." he said.  
  
"We were just leaving." said Bobby before Lindsay could say anything to Mike. "We'll see you tomorrow in court."  
  
"Gee I can't wait." said Helen sarcastically as they walked out the door.  
  
"You like Italian?" asked Mike once he and Helen were in his car.  
  
They ate at an intimate little Italian restaurant, and chatted easily during dinner. Helen was surprised how well it was going. When they finished eating Mike drove Helen home and walked her to her apartment.  
  
"So, what's going on with your case?" asked Mike as they waited in the elevator.  
  
"I think Lindsay is going to plead temporary insanity, or try to get the jury to feel sorry for the poor kid and let him off so he doesn't go to jail for the rest of his life." she said. "Knowing her she'll probably do both."  
  
Mike chuckled as the elevator dinged and the doors opened.  
  
"I had a really nice time tonight." he told her when they got to her door.  
  
Helen smiled at him. "I did too."  
  
"Maybe we should do it again sometime. Like, Friday?" he asked hopeful.  
  
"I'd love to. Pick me up around 7?"  
  
"Ok." Mike said happily before he quickly looked down at the floor and began to bounce lightly from foot to foot, a gesture that Helen had noticed meant that he was nervous.  
  
  
  
Helen watched him for a few moments as he debated with himself whether or not to kiss her goodnight.  
  
"Mike." she said.  
  
When he looked up from the floor she leaned forward and gently pressed her lips to his. He stood there for a few seconds before he lightly placed his hands on her hips and began to explore her mouth with his tongue. They pulled back a few seconds later and Helen couldn't stop the smile that grew on her face.  
  
"Night."  
  
"Night." she said as she watched him walk down the hall and get into the elevator.  
  
She began to open the door but stopped when she felt it collide with something and heard a very loud "Damn it." come from the other side. She rolled her eyes at Ellenor who now stood in the middle of the living room holding her head in pain.  
  
"How'd it go?" she asked.  
  
"It was perfect."  
  
Hey thanks for the reviews everyone especially Kate who has reviewed every single chapter. More later if I get some reviews! 


	6. And it begins

Chapter 6  
  
Ok since you guys reviewed so quickly I decided to be nice and post another chapter. Hope you like it and keep reviewing please!  
  
  
  
Helen and Ellenor walked into court the following morning with grim faces. It had taken them half an hour to get to work through all of the traffic and another ten minutes to push through all of the reporters and cameras in the hallways.  
  
"Miss Gamble, Miss Frutt how nice of you to join us." Judge Kittelson said from the bench.  
  
"Sorry your honor we were caught in traffic." Ellenor apologized as she and Helen both took their seats.  
  
Kittelson looked at Ellenor strangely, "What happened to your head?" she asked.  
  
Helen tried to hide the smile on her face and Ellenor glared at her.  
  
"I was hit with a door last night." answered Ellenor seriously.  
  
Helen's smile grew even bigger as she tried to suppress her laughter and Bobby and Lindsay looked at the rather large bruise on Ellenor's forehead. Kittelson caught Helen's smile and decided against asking for the full story.  
  
"Ok. Are both sides ready for trial?" she asked  
  
"Yes your honor." answered Helen.  
  
"Yes your honor." said Lindsay.  
  
"Alright lets bring in the jury and Miss Dole you can give your opening statement."  
  
The jury came in and Lindsay stood up.  
  
"Opening statements are when lawyers from both sides stand up here and tell you what they hope to accomplish by the end of the trial. They tell you facts that they intend to prove and witnesses that they are going to call in order to prove those facts. Well today I'm not going to do that. They only thing I'm going to tell you is that my client is innocent. He was temporarily insane at the time of the shooting. You can not convict someone of a crime unless you know for certain that his or her actions were deliberate and sane. His were not. The prosecution knows that. The only reason that they are trying to convict my client is because of the public outcry that someone should be charged with this woman's death. He was temporarily insane when he picked up that gun and shot his mother. We all know it. By the end of the trail you will too."  
  
She walked back over to her seat and sat down. Bobby gave her an encouraging squeeze of her hand.  
  
"Temporary insanity is an interesting defense," said Helen as she stood up. "Defense attorneys use it when they don't have anything else to go with. They argue that the client was insane at the time of the shooting, the jury buys it, and the client effectively gets away with murder. Well I promise you it's not going to happen here. Our evidence will show that the defendant discovered his mother in bed with a man who wasn't his father, went upstairs, got his father's gun, loaded it, waited until the man left, and then executed his mother. There was nothing insane about it. This was a first degree murder, and I hope that you don't let the defense fool you into believing other wise."  
  
  
  
Five minutes later Ellenor, Bobby, Lindsay and Helen stood outside of the courtroom.  
  
"I'll give you manslaughter, eight years." Helen offered.  
  
Lindsay rolled her eyes. "You should just go ahead and give us an acquittal and save us the time of a trial."  
  
"He executed her. He got a gun and blew her head off. Manslaughter is a gift." answered Helen.  
  
"No thanks."  
  
"Fine." said Helen as she began to walk down the hallway.  
  
"Uh Helen." said Bobby. "This may not be the right time to ask, but could you watch Bobby tonight? Linds and I are going out to dinner."  
  
Helen just stood there and stared at him for a long moment.  
  
"What time?" she finally asked.  
  
"Seven." said Lindsay.  
  
Helen nodded and continued walking down the hall.  
  
Around seven that night Ellenor was making dinner and Helen was playing with Zoey when the phone rang.  
  
"I got it." said Helen as she practically ran to the phone.  
  
Mike was on the other end. Ellenor watched as Helen's face lit up and she nervously twirled the phone cord around her finger.  
  
"Ok I'll see you then," said Helen. "Bye." and she hung up the phone.  
  
"When are you guys going out again?"  
  
"Friday." answered Helen as she tried to wipe the huge grin off of her face.  
  
"You must really like him." said Ellenor.  
  
The doorbell rang.  
  
"Yeah, I do." answered Helen as she went to open the door.  
  
"Hewen!" said Bobby Jr. excitedly as he ran into the apartment.  
  
"Hey sweetie."  
  
"Where's Zoey?" he asked.  
  
Helen pointed to the kitchen floor where Zoey sat coloring. Bobby quickly ran over to join her.  
  
"Thank you so much." said Lindsay while putting Bobby's bag on the floor.  
  
"We should be back by 9:30 or 10:00." Bobby informed her.  
  
Helen nodded. "Take your time. Zoey loves having him over."  
  
Little Bobby came back over to his dad.  
  
"Daddy, are we going to spend the night here with Helen like we did when mommy lived somewhere else?" he asked innocently.  
  
  
  
Alright I realize that it's kind of mean to leave it like this but if u guys review I'll try to get the next chapter up sometime tomorrow and I'll explain the whole secret. Hope u liked it!  
  
Oh and something completely unrelated that has been bugging me, did anyone watch the Golden Globes? Can anyone tell me what the hell Lara Flynn Boyle was thinking?!?! 


	7. The Secret

Chapter 7  
  
Thank you guys so much for the reviews. This is my first story and I can't believe that I've gotten such great feedback.  
  
"Daddy, are we going to spend the night here with Helen like we did when mommy lived somewhere else?" he asked innocently.  
  
The room became deathly silent at the three year old's question. He looked confused at the four grown ups staring at him  
  
"Well are we?" he asked again.  
  
"You've spent the night here with daddy before?" Lindsay asked in a whisper to make sure that she had correctly heard what he had said.  
  
The little boy nodded his head and looked at Bobby questioningly.  
  
"Honey why don't you come over here and play with Zoey so your mommy can talk to your daddy and Helen." said Ellenor taking the little boy's hand and leading him away from the trio at the door.  
  
Lindsay stood there glaring at them with a mixture of anger and hurt before she slowly walked to Helen's room. Bobby and Helen followed her.  
  
"Linds it wasn't like you think." Helen said after shutting the door.  
  
"Did you sleep with her?" Lindsay asked Bobby while completely ignoring Bobby.  
  
"No of course not." He answered truthfully. "It wasn't like that. Lindsay when you were in prison...I didn't know what to do. I was lost. Helen...was there for me. Bobby and I slept over here sometimes but it was nothing more than that. I promise."  
  
His eyes were so pleading that Lindsay almost believed him. "So nothing happened between the two of you?" she asked now addressing Helen also.  
  
Something quickly flashed through Helen's eyes before Lindsay had a chance to figure it out but looking into Bobby's she knew what it was. Guilt. Lindsay's face grew stony and her eyes began to well up.  
  
"Linds, let us explain." Said Helen calmly as she moved toward her.  
  
"You had better have a pretty damn good explanation." Lindsay said as her anger over took her hurt and she began to yell. "My husband brought my son to his ex-girlfriend's house and spent the night, while I was setting in prison. An ex-girlfriend who by the way is soposed to be my best friend. Don't give me that we-didn't-do-anything-shit I can tell when he lies."  
  
"We kissed, once, but that was it. Lindsay I love you. You know that I would never cheat on you it was just...you were in prison for god's sakes. You murdered someone. I didn't know what the hell I was soposed to do. Helen was there for me with support and one night, after drinking a little too much wine we kissed. It lasted for like 3 seconds. Linds it didn't mean anything." Said Bobby as tears began to come to his eyes at the hurt that he could see in Lindsay's eyes.  
  
"I hate you." she told him calmly. "And I'm leaving."  
  
"Lind-" Bobby began but Helen cut him off.  
  
"Don't be mad at him Lindsay. It was my fault. I kissed him. I'm sorry I don't know what I was thinking but whatever you do you can't blame him. It wasn't his fault."  
  
Lindsay looked from Bobby to Helen and back to Bobby. "I'll deal with you when we get home. Let's go, now."  
  
She quickly walked out of the door and Bobby grabbed Helen's arm as she turned to leave also.  
  
"Why did you tell her that?" he asked quietly.  
  
She stood there and looked him in the eye for a long moment before slowly shaking her head and walking out the door. Lindsay already had Bobby's shoes and jacket on them when they came back into the living room.  
  
"Mommy, why are you crying?" he asked her.  
  
She just shook her head and led him out the door as more tears came and Bobby followed helplessly behind them. Helen shut the door and then leaned against it as she felt tears of her own coming on. She began to sob and slid down the door until she was setting on the floor. Ellenor came over and put a comforting hand on her shoulder.  
  
"Are you ok?" she asked gently.  
  
Helen shook her head. "Did you hear all of that?"  
  
Ellenor nodded.  
  
Helen put her head in her hands and continued to cry. "God we were so stupid. She's going to hate me forever. I can't believe this."  
  
"Helen," she said getting Helen to look at her," he kissed you didn't he?" Helen opened her mouth to deny it but she knew that Ellenor already had it figured out. "You can't say anything to Lindsay, please Ellenor."  
  
"I won't but if she finds out that you're lying she's going to be even madder at both of you."  
  
"She's not going to find out." answered Helen as her tears slowed. "I'm going to take a shower."  
  
She slowly walked down the hall and softly shut her bathroom door. Ellenor shook her head as she went back to the kitchen. She's covering for Bobby she thought. She had better hope he can keep it from Lindsay or there's going to be hell to pay for both of them.  
  
  
  
Ok guys. I'm stopping there. Hope you like it so far. R/R please. Oh and in case you're wondering about the Helen/Mike stuff, no I haven't forgotten about them and he should be back in the next chapter or so. After I get the Lindsay thing done it'll be a lot more about them. 


	8. The big picture

Chapter 8  
  
Sorry, sorry, sorry. I know I made you guys wait a long time for this but first I had major writers block, and second once I got a good idea I had no time to write it. High school sucks so if u wanna yell at someone for the delay then talk to my Geometry teacher.  
  
  
  
Ellenor didn't see Helen for the rest of the night. Shortly after getting out of the shower she dressed and went to bed. She did, however, look in on her before she went to bed and noticed tear stains on Helen's pale face. I'll talk to her tomorrow she thought.  
  
She never got the chance though. Helen woke up earlier than usual the next morning and had already gotten ready and ate breakfast by the time Ellenor got out of bed. She was putting her coat on when Ellenor came down the hall.  
  
"Where are you going to early?" she asked.  
  
"I have some stuff that I have to do at the office." Helen answered. "I have a feeling Lindsay is going to be particularly vicious today and I want to be prepared."  
  
"To be fair, she has good reason."  
  
"Yea." agreed Helen softly.  
  
  
  
At the court house two hours later Lindsay was near the end of her cross- examination of the fifth protectoral witness, the victim's boyfriend Charles Martin.  
  
"So you're saying that the boy just opened the door, saw what was going on, and left. He didn't scream or yell, or anything like that?" she asked.  
  
"No." he answered. "He just saw us together and left. He was probably going to load the gun." he added sarcastically.  
  
"Objection." said Ellenor from the defense table.  
  
Before Judge Kittelson could sustain it Lindsay started talking again. "If he was loading the gun he would have shot you, too. You would have deserved it." she said venomously.  
  
"Objection." said Helen as she sprung up from her chair.  
  
"I mean after all you were having an affair with his mother, people who commit adultery should be punished."  
  
"Objection." yelled Helen.  
  
"Maybe we should be trying to throw you in jail instead of him."  
  
"Objection!"  
  
"Miss Dole." yelled Judge Kittelson. "That is quite enough."  
  
"Nothing farther." Lindsay said coldly as she walked back to her seat.  
  
Helen glared at her and Lindsay narrowed her eyes.  
  
"Miss Gamble do you have any farther witnesses?"  
  
"No your honor. The prosecution rests." she said.  
  
"Ok. Miss Dole the defense may call its first witness tomorrow at... 9:00. We are adjourned."  
  
In the hall Lindsay was waiting for an elevator. She desperately wanted to get out of there and back to the office before Helen had a change to try to explain why she was kissing her husband. The whole thing made her sad more than it angered her, but in all honesty she wasn't surprised. Helen and Bobby had managed to remain pretty good friends after their roller coaster relationship with the whole Isecoff thing and the Marks trial. Actually if she hadn't been acquitted she probably would have almost welcomed Helen and Bobby being together, not that she'd ever tell either of them. Helen would be a good mother to Bobby Jr. and she would have been good for Bobby, too. But she had been acquitted so she wasn't going to waste her time thinking about that anymore. The elevator dinged and she stepped in.  
  
  
  
Helen went home at 7:00 to get a shower and get ready for the dinner date that she had planned with Mike. She quickly let her hair down, added a little more makeup to what she already had on and dabbed some perfume on her neck and wrists. After that she went to her room and changed into white slacks and a soft blue sweater. Lindsay had always said that blue looked good on her because it brought out her eyes. At the thought of Lindsay her smile faded and she felt tears form in the corner of her eyes. Damn Bobby he messed everything up she thought, but that wasn't really fair because it wasn't entirely his fault. He had been the one to initiate the kiss but she hadn't stopped him. In fact she had kissed him back for a long moment before they both broke away. He had apologized repeatedly the rest of the evening and afterwards had broken down and cried for an hour. She felt so awful for him. His wife had been in prison, he was facing raising his two- year-old son, and on top of that he had just kissed her best friend.  
  
She was shaken out of her memories by a knock at the door. After quickly checking her reflection in the mirror she quickly walked down the hall towards the door. The site of Mike in jeans, a sweater with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, and perfectly gelled hair made all worries of Bobby and Lindsay vanish from her mind. She gave him a flirty smile and grabbed her coat.  
  
  
  
"So, where are we going?" Helen asked after she and Mike had finished a delicious dinner at a semi fancy restaurant.  
  
"You'll see." he said has he turned down a road that Helen had never driven down before.  
  
Moments later she found herself looking at Boston Harbor. Mike got out of the car and Helen followed as he quickly walked down a dock to a small but pretty boat on the end.  
  
"Even been around the harbor at night?" he asked.  
  
She shook her head. "I've never been on a boat at all."  
  
He raised his eyebrows. "Well I guess there's a first time for everything."  
  
He helped her onto the boat and threw the rope attaching it to the dock into the water. Helen sat down on the comfy seat near the right side of the boat and watched as Mike skillfully maneuvered the boat around the edge of the dock and out into the harbor. She suddenly realized that in all of the years that she had worked with him she didn't really know him.  
  
"Hey. Come look at this." he said as they got going along the shore.  
  
Helen walked unsteadily to the front of the boat and leaned on the rail by the wheel that Mike was steering with.  
  
"Oh my god." she breathed.  
  
From the water the lights of the city took on an almost magical light. The only thing that could be seen was the beautiful lights, not the old, torn down buildings, or the homeless people lying in the alleys. It really was a beautiful city form out here and I never noticed it she thought.  
  
"Beautiful isn't it?" he asked as he came up behind her and put his arms around her waist.  
  
She nodded as she laid her hands over his on her stomach.  
  
"I never really noticed it before."  
  
"Most people don't. They never take the time to really stop and look at the beauty in things. They just see a little piece of the puzzle instead of taking a look at the whole picture" he said. "Doing the work that we do it really is a good idea to occasionally step back and just... forget about everything that's wrong with the world and look at what's right."  
  
  
  
Ok what do u guys think so far? I want honest opinions. If you love it tell me, if u think it's the worst thing you've ever read then I would like to hear that too. R/R 


	9. Apologies and Reflections

Chapter 9  
  
Ok I know it's been forever since my last chapter but I'm trying my hardest to get them up as fast as I can. We got like 8 inches of snow and ice and the power went out and then it came back on but the cable was out which meant no internet for awhile. ( Also, I realized a few days ago that I made a huge mistake in the story. I forgot that Lindsay was a civil lawyer now instead of a criminal one. Oops. So, just pretend that she never started her own practice. Sorry.  
  
Helen woke up on Thursday morning with a content smile on her face. Things with Mike were perfect and last night she had figured out a way to talk to Lindsay. She quickly got ready for work and grabbed her brief case.  
  
"Hey." said Ellenor as she and Zoey came into the kitchen. "Why do you keep getting up so freaking early? You trying to avoid us or something.?"  
  
Helen smiled. "No, I'm going to go talk to Lindsay and I wanted to catch her before she goes to the court house."  
  
"Oh." Said Ellenor with a sympathetic face. "Have fun."  
  
Helen gave her a sarcastic smile and left.  
"All of your folders are in your brief case." Lucy told Lindsay at Donnell, Young, Dole, and Frutt. "Are you sure you're all right? You look really tired."  
  
"Thanks." Lindsay said sarcastically.  
  
"I didn't mean it like that."  
  
Lindsay set her coffee cup down on her desk and began flipping through the files in her brief case to make sure that they were all there. The door opened but she didn't pay any attention to who came in. She figured it was Eugene or Ellenor. When she didn't hear them say anything she turned around to see who it was. Her eyes narrowed when she saw Helen standing just inside of the door way.  
  
"What do you want?" she asked her.  
  
"I want to talk to you about this." said Helen. I have to calmly work this out she thought.  
  
"Ok then talk." Lindsay said stubbornly.  
  
Helen looked around at Jamie, Lucy, Rebecca, and Jimmy who were now curiously staring at the two women.  
  
"Do you really want to discuss this here?" she asked.  
  
Lindsay defiantly nodded her head.  
  
"Fine." said Helen. "I never should have done that and I've apologized. What else can I do to make you forgive me?"  
  
Lindsay thought for a moment. "You can never speak to either of us again."  
  
Lucy raised her eyebrows in Rebecca's direction and Rebecca shrugged her shoulders.  
  
"That's going a little overboard don't you think?"  
  
Lindsay stood up. "No I don't think it is. You kissed my husband. You're soposed to be my best friend and while I was setting in prison you were shoving your tongue down Bobby's throat."  
  
Helen couldn't take being nice about this anymore. "You know what Lindsay maybe if you hadn't killed someone and gotten thrown in prison none of this would have happened. You are making a huge deal out of this. It was a stupid mistake. It isn't like I slept with him or anything like you did when I was dating him. And it's not like I tried to steal him from you like you did to me. If you don't want to forgive me, fine, but don't expect me to apologize again." She turned around and marched out of the office, slamming the door on the way out.  
  
"She kissed Bobby?" Lucy asked curiously.  
  
Lindsay glared at her before she picked up her brief case and walked out the door.  
  
Lindsay, Helen, Ellenor, and Bobby spent the rest of the day in court examining and cross examining doctors and specialists who were testifying for the defense.  
  
"Ms. Dole does the defense have anymore witnesses?" Judge Kittelson asked around 7:00 that night.  
  
"No your honor the defense rests."  
  
"Any rebuttal witnesses Ms. Gamble?"  
  
"No your honor." said Helen. "The prosecution rests."  
  
"Ok. Closing arguments will be at 9:30 tomorrow. We are adjourned."  
"You heading home or are you going to stay and work on your closing?" Ellenor asked Helen as she approached her in the hallway.  
  
"I'm going to Mike's for dinner then I'll be home." said Helen.  
  
"Sure you will." Ellenor replied with a grin on her face.  
  
Helen smiled and got into the elevator.  
At Donnell, Young, Dole, and Frutt, Lindsay was working on her closing. Bobby approached her desk cautiously.  
  
"Linds are you ready to go home?" he asked.  
  
"No I'm going to stay here and work on my closing. I'll be home later." She said without looking up at him.  
  
"Lindsay you know that we never meant to hurt you. It was a mistake."  
  
Lindsay looked up from her paper. "I know," she said softly, "and I'm not mad at you for it. It's just... it hurts that she did that to me, to us. She said some things this morning that have made me think about it. I'm not really mad at her either, I'm disappointed that she kissed you but, I've done it to her before, too. I kind of stole you from her when you guys were dating and maybe...maybe I deserved this."  
  
"You think that she kissed me to get back at you?" he asked.  
  
"No, no I just...I didn't mean it like that but...I don't know." she said shaking her head.  
  
"Maybe you should talk to her."  
  
"I sort of told her off today. I'm not so sure she'd be willing to have a conversation with me right now."  
  
Bobby grabbed their jackets off of the coat rack. "Then do it tomorrow, give her some time to cool off first."  
  
Lindsay nodded.  
  
"And come home. You can work on your closing there so you can kiss little Bobby goodnight."  
  
Lindsay smiled softly at the mention of her son and gathered her stuff up. I'll talk all of this through with Helen tomorrow after closings.  
What do you think? Read and review and I'll post the next one as soon as I can unless Mother Nature decides to be evil and hit us with more snow. Thanks for all of the reviews so far. I should have like 2 or 3 more chapters left until the end. Oh, and does anyone know the actor's name who plays as Mike on the show?? 


	10. Late Again

Chapter 10  
  
Ok I finally have it up. I know that it takes me forever to post and that the chapters are short but thank you so much for reviewing. It means a lot to me.  
  
Helen arrived at Mike's 20 minutes after leaving the court room.  
  
"Hey." he said as he opened the door and let her into his apartment.  
  
"Hey."  
  
"Come on in. Dinner is almost ready."  
  
Helen walked in and followed Mike into the kitchen.  
  
"Do you want some wine?" he asked.  
  
She nodded and he began rummaging through the fridge for a bottle. After finally finding one in the very back he opened it and poured himself and her a glass. They made small talk through dinner and after they had cleaned up they moved to the living room.  
  
"So how was trial today?"  
  
Helen gave him a withering look.  
  
"That good?" he asked sarcastically.  
  
"Trial was fine, but Lindsay still isn't talking to me." she said softly. "I don't know if she ever will."  
  
"She'll come around." he said and softly took her hand. "You just need to give her time."  
  
Helen looked at him for a long time before leaning in and softly pressing her lips to his. Mike responded and the kiss turned fast and passionate. He began to rise from the couch and while still kissing Helen, led her down the hall to his bedroom.  
Lindsay woke up earlier than usual and decided to give Helen a call so that she could talk to her before they had to go into court. She picked up the phone and dialed her number.  
  
"Hello." said a groggy voice on the other end.  
  
"Ellenor, I need to talk to Helen."  
  
"Uh she didn't come home last night."  
  
"What do you mean she didn't come home?" Lindsay asked in a worried voice.  
  
"She had dinner at Mike's last night." Ellenor explained.  
  
Lindsay laughed softly, knowing exactly why Helen hadn't come home. "All right. I'll catch her before court. Bye."  
  
"Bye." said Ellenor and she hung up the phone and pulled the covers over her head.  
Helen awoke with a start but after studying her surroundings for a moment she relaxed.  
  
"Hey you ok?" Mike asked concerned.  
  
Helen rolled over and looked at him. "Yea I'm fine I just didn't know where I was for a minute." she smiled softly at him.  
  
He smiled back at her and Helen watched as his expression turned thoughtful.  
  
Curious, she asked "What?"  
  
He studied her for a moment more and then said, "You're beautiful."  
  
She smiled at his complement and softly kissed him. When she pulled away she glanced at the alarm clock and bolted upright in bed. "Shit."  
  
"What?" he asked.  
  
"I was soposed to be in court five minutes ago." she answered as she jumped out of bed and hurriedly pulled her clothes on.  
  
Mike glanced at the clock and then laid his head back on the pillow. He watched her jump up and down a few times while pulling a sock on and then run back and forth across the room trying to locate the other one. When she was fully dressed she leaned over the bed and kissed him.  
  
"Call me later?" she asked.  
  
Mike nodded. "I'll probably come in and listen to your verdict later on."  
  
"Ok." she said and kissed him one more time before turning and running out the door.  
  
He chuckled to himself. She's amazing he thought.  
Helen went home and hurriedly dressed. She was sure that the broke at least seven traffic laws while trying to make it to the court house. When she finally made it she dashed down the hall.  
  
"Hey where's the fire?" Walsh asked as she rounded a corner.  
  
"I'm late for court." she yelled over her shoulder.  
  
When she reached the courtroom she slowed down and smoothed her hair back. As soon as she walked in through the door she could tell that Kittelson was pissed. She could also tell that Ellenor had told Bobby and Lindsay where she was last night because all three were shooting her humored looks.  
  
"Ms. Gamble this is the second time you've been late. What's the excuse this time?" Kittelson asked.  
  
Helen blushed slightly which caused Lindsay to grin at her friend's obvious discomfort. "I spent the night at a friends house and forgot to set the alarm." she said.  
  
"Uh hu." Kittelson said sarcastically. "Well the next time try to be here on time, or else you can spend the night in a jail cell. Then maybe you will arrive in court on time."  
  
Helen bit her tongue to keep from coming back with an equally sarcastic reply and just nodded her head and took her seat.  
  
"Ms. Dole you may begin your closing."  
  
Lindsay stood up and walked to the jury.  
  
"This case can not be decided by the forensic evidence, nor can it be decided based on the witnesses. We have never disputed any of that. Yes my client took the gun, went outside, and killed the victim. However; you can not convict him of murder. He was temporarily insane. The prosecution has not introduced anything to disprove that.  
  
We put up experts and analysts who sat right there in that witness stand and told you that he was no thinking clearly at the time of the shooting. My client, ladies and gentlemen, is innocent. He was so traumatized by seeing his mother with another man that he just snapped. He grabbed the gun and without conscious thought shot her. I know that you do not want to let him go free. He shot his own mother...but he is a good kid. I've spent time with him. He is sorry that he shot her. The guilt he is dealing with right now is more punishment than you could ever give him."  
  
Lindsay sat down and Helen stood up.  
  
"This kid took a gun and shot his mother. That fact is not in dispute. He unlocked the cabinet, loaded the gun, went downstairs, and killed his mother. The person that had loved him and taken care of him for 13 years. Their argument of temporary insanity is a viable one," She paused for a effect, "but why did he wait? If he were insane like the say then why didn't he just go ahead and kill her? I'll tell you why because he didn't want to get caught. He didn't want her lover to catch him before he got the chance to kill her. You'd think that someone who was insane wouldn't think of something like that, but he did.  
  
You would also think that someone who was temporarily out of their mind wouldn't think to wipe their finger prints off of the gun, or to change their clothing and throw them in the washer would you? Their defense is designed to give you an out. Yes the kid should go to jail but hey, if we argue temporary insanity the jury will feel sorry for him and let him go. As I said in the beginning, this was a first degree murder, please don't let them fool you into believing otherwise."  
In the hallway outside Bobby, Lindsay, and Ellenor waited for the guard to bring their client to them while the jury was deliberating. Helen walked by and Lindsay stopped her.  
  
"Can we talk?" she asked.  
  
Helen nodded. "Sure."  
Probably one more chapter left. I will get it up as soon as I can. Review please!! 


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